Hudson's County's history is its genealogy

Photo by Ritwikdey/CC License appliesThe historic Barrow Mansion on Wayne Street in Jersey City belonged to physician William Barrow in the 19th century. It is now owned by St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church and serves several community groups including the Attic Ensemble and Van Vorst Park Neighborhood Association.

There’s a small but dedicated group of people who embrace Hudson County’s long history and are getting together to celebrate it next Saturday at Hudson County Community College Culinary Conference Center.

The Hudson County History Advocates are sponsoring a history fair to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the founding of the town of Bergen, which eventually morphed into present day Jersey City. The Advocates are actually a group of groups, including the Jersey City Public Library, the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy, Preservation NJ, the New Jersey chapter of the African-American Historical and Genealogical Society and the group I currently preside over, Hudson County Genealogical Society.

These groups are dedicated to preserving Hudson’s history, whether it be its historic buildings that still stand but are in danger of falling under the wrecking ball, or a plaque, or even a piece of paper with an ancestor’s name on it.

But why?

We’re proud. Proud of the people that hailed from here: Frank Sinatra, Nathan Lane, Frank Langella, Sandra Dee, Sen. Bob Menendez and heavyweight boxing champ James J. Braddock among scores of others. We’re proud of the things that happened here: Baseball was first played in Hoboken in 1846. A hundred years later, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in professional baseball at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. Hudson was also a stop on the Underground Railroad a series of safe houses used by slaves to escape the southern states to freedom in the north and Canada. The surprise victory over the British at the Battle of Paulus Hook during the Revolutionary War stunned the Redcoats and made them think twice about attacking rebel positions in the area.

There’s also George Santayana’s aphorism, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” One could argue about how well (or, rather, not-so-well) Hudson’s politicians have learned from that, but Santayana’s saying also implies some street smarts that illustrates a Hudson County mindset: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Tell me that’s not Hudson County.

But Hudson County is more than the history of its famous people and events. It’s the history of its not-so-famous and events as well, and that’s where genealogy fits in, because the Township of Bergen and eventually Hudson County could not have endured without the struggles of its everyday people. The workers and business owners, the families, the neighbors, the churches, the libraries, the sports teams, the theaters, the movie houses. These are the things that really made up – and still make up – Hudson County. Let’s celebrate them.

So join us for “Come Home to History: Celebrating 350 Years of Hudson’s Heritage” On Oct. 9 at the Hudson County Community College Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk St., Jersey City, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information can be found here.